Home › Lesbian Romance Books With… › Single Moms
Romance does not begin in an empty room.
50 verified romances · 36 new on LRR · 9 explicit (L4–L5) · 3 closed door (L1–L2)
Romance does not begin in an empty room. For a single mother, love may have to fit around school runs, custody schedules, exhaustion, former partners, family expectations and the very practical question of whether a new relationship can belong inside an existing family.
Quick answer
The best lesbian romance books with single moms to start with are Eve Falls First by Fiona Zedde, where a yoga instructor hires her daughter’s young teacher as a tutor, Changing Tides by Iona Kane, where a celebrity chef and her young son start over on an Irish island, and Discovering Nicola by Clare Ashton, where two divorced mothers in their fifties fall from rivals into love.
Every book here has a mother as a central romantic lead. This page is sorted by her situation. If you’d rather sort by the child’s age and role, see lesbian romance books with kids. Every “books with” guide is in Lesbian Romance Books With….
This list is specifically about romances where a central heroine is a mother and is single, divorced, widowed or separated when the romance begins. It is not a general “books with kids” list, and it is not the same as a story about pregnancy, adoption or becoming a parent.
LRR separates single, divorced and widowed mothers where the evidence supports those distinctions. A character is not tagged as a mother because she is older, married, divorced or caring for a child who is not hers.
Start Here: 10 to Read First
A starting shelf that shows the range on this page. Where an LRR review exists, the ending and heat come from it; otherwise every field names its source, and unknown stays unknown.
First row: the representation or type, then ending and heat. Second row: dynamics a source actually supports.
L1 no on-page sex · L2 closed door or fade to black · L3 open door · L4 explicit · L5 extra spicy. When trusted sources disagree about how explicit a book is, we show the more conservative level. “Heat not rated” means no source we trust rates it yet; “Heat disputed” means trusted sources disagree about whether sex is on the page.
Every card names its source: an LRR review, the publisher or author, a specialist review, or a structured listing such as I Heart SapphFic.
Eve Falls First
Fiona Zedde · Ylva Publishing, 2025
A divorced yoga instructor falls for the younger teacher at her daughter's school just as her Hollywood ex returns.
Why start here: Divorced mom: age gap; open-door heat.
Find it on AmazonRead our review
The store links on this page are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows
Olivia Waite · Avon, 2020
In 1820s England a widowed printer falls for the married beekeeper who removes bees from her warehouse.
Why start here: Widowed mom: reviewed on LRR; 40+ lead, friends to lovers; moderate heat.
Popcorn Love
KL Hughes · Ylva Publishing, 2015
A NYC fashion executive hires a free-spirited NYU senior to babysit during her blind dates and falls for her instead.
Why start here: Single mom: reviewed on LRR; nanny.
Mistakes Were Made
Meryl Wilsner · St. Martin's Griffin, 2022
A college senior's one-night stand turns out to be her best friend's mom, visiting for Family Weekend.
Why start here: Divorced mom: reviewed on LRR; age gap, 40+ lead; explicit heat.
Changing Tides
Iona Kane · 2025
A celebrity chef fleeing a failed business and marriage retreats to an Irish island with her toddler and meets Joey.
Why start here: Single mom: friends to lovers, small town; open-door heat.
Discovering Nicola
Clare Ashton · 2025
Two divorced Oxford mothers who have sniped for years become neighbours, call a truce, and find something else.
Why start here: Divorced mom: 40+ lead, 50+ lead, neighbors; moderate heat.
Sweet Sweet Revenge
Lyn Denison · Self-published, 2021
A woman seeking revenge on the Hunter family gets burned by her attraction to divorced mom Abby Hunter.
Why start here: Divorced mom: explicit heat.
Drawn to the Enemy
Barbara Winkes · 2024
A young widow falls for the woman whose cousin is accused of murdering her husband.
Why start here: Widowed mom: age gap, ice queen; moderate heat.
Carnations & Commitment
H.B. Cliffy · 2025
A heartbroken new mom and a labor-and-delivery nurse find love in Chicago around Mother's Day.
Why start here: Single mom: explicit heat.
Never Say Never
Rachael Sommers · Ylva Publishing, 2021
A divorced corporate shark raising her son alone falls for the much younger nanny she hired.
Why start here: Divorced mom: reviewed on LRR; age gap, nanny, boss/employee; kisses only.
What Counts
At least one central romantic lead is explicitly a mother and is single, divorced, widowed or separated at the relevant point of the romance, according to the blurb, publisher, author or a reliable review.
Divorced Mothers Finding Love Again (6)
Divorce is its own metadata. We do not assume every single mother is divorced, and a divorce is not automatically a second chance.
Also on this shelf, above: Eve Falls First and Sweet Sweet Revenge.
Flight to the Horizon
Julie Tizard · Bold Strokes Books, 2020
An airline captain and an aloof flight attendant survive a water landing, but the attendant is hiding from her abuser.
The mom: Janine Case, flight attendant on the run from her abusive ex-husband with her daughter
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“on the run from her abusive ex-husband… protect her daughter” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
Hugs & Quiches
Candace Harper · Foxglove Fiction, 2020
A single mom who fled an abusive marriage and a rival chef compete on a TV cooking show.
The mom: Zoe Cooper, fled abusive husband with her daughter a year ago
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“Zoe Cooper packed up her daughter and fled her abusive husband” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
When You Least Expect It
Haley Cass · 2020
A Boston divorce attorney falls for the straight client divorcing her work rival, and for the client's daughter.
The mom: Hannah Dalton, divorcing mother of daughter Abbie
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“closer to both Hannah and her adorable daughter Abbie” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
Falling Hard
Jae · Ylva Publishing, 2017
A womanizing surgeon takes a bad fall, and the divorced single mom next door helps nurse her through six weeks.
The mom: Emma Larson, divorced from her wife, five-year-old daughter
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“Single mom Emma Larson… After an ugly divorce from her wife” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
Widowed Mothers (8)
Widowhood changes the emotional context of a new romance. We tag it only where the text establishes it, never from the absence of another parent.
Also on this shelf, above: The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows and Drawn to the Enemy.
Returning Home to Her
Jutta Swietlinski · 2023
A widowed mom with a walking disability visits her estranged childhood best friend in San Francisco and meets her first love again; readers say the romance does not end where the blurb suggests.
The mom: Linet, single mother in her forties mourning her wife, with her son
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“Linet, a single mother in her forties… still in mourning for her wife” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
Truly Wanted
J.J. Hale · Bold Strokes Books, 2022
A widowed mom and her former-foster-kid best friend cross the line and search for the friend's birth family.
The mom: Brooke Fields, widowed single mother
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“When tragedy forces Brooke to become a single mother” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
Other Girls
Avery Brooks · Bywater Books, 2019
A widowed New Orleans mom falls for the high-school bully who joins her softball team.
The mom: Samantha Parker, widowed mother of young son Jake
⚑ Series: Other Girls #1.
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“After the loss of her wife… caring for her young son, Jake” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label. ⚑ Bully romance: readers are split on whether the history can be forgiven.
Presidential
Lola Keeley · Ylva Publishing, 2022
A widowed US president seeking re-election falls for a new pediatric surgeon under intense public scrutiny.
The mom: President Connie Calvin, widowed single mother to a 12-year-old boy
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“widowed single mother to a 12-year-old boy” Source → ⚑ Revised 2022 edition; the 2020 version was criticised for closely mirroring The American President.
If You Kiss Me Like That
Harper Bliss · Ladylit Publishing, 2020
A long-widowed village mother of grown daughters explores her feelings for a younger, recently divorced friend's daughter.
The mom: Gloria Young, widow who raised two daughters alone (now at university)
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“After losing her husband… Gloria Young rebuilt herself as a single parent” Source → Ending: reader reviews confirm an HEA (our review). Heat: romance.io 5/5 “Explicit and plentiful” (28 ratings).
Winds of Heaven
Kate Sweeney · Intaglio Publications, 2009
A bachelorette answers her late ex's plea to help her grieving partner, a pregnant mom of a toddler.
The mom: Liz Kennedy, bereaved partner of Julie, mother of three-year-old Skye, pregnant
⚑ Series: Winds of Heaven #1.
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“Julie's partner, Liz Kennedy, and their adorable… three-year old, Skye” Source →
Mothers of Young Children (13)
Young children shape time, privacy and pace: school runs, bedtimes, babysitters. Child age is recorded only when a source supports it.
Also on this shelf, above: Popcorn Love and Carnations & Commitment.
Lasting Impressions
Cassidy Langue · 2024
A closeted single-mom architect falls for her boss's daughter, who babysits the night of a gala.
The mom: Sarah Reynolds, overworked architect and single mom of a 12-year-old daughter
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“single mom Sarah Reynolds is the best architect in Delmont” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
Teaching Hope
Sienna Waters · 2023
A betrayed American teacher in an English village clashes with the single-mum receptionist next door.
The mom: Hope Perkins, school receptionist, single mum fighting her ex for custody of Alice
⚑ Series: Whitebridge #2.
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“She's a single mum… battling her ex for custody of little Alice” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
Her Royal Happiness
Lola Keeley · Ylva Publishing, 2022
An out British princess fake-dates the anti-monarchist single mom assessing her nephew.
The mom: Sara, opinionated education specialist and single mother of a daughter
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“Princess Alice… meets an opinionated single mother” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
Diving In
Sage Donnell · 2021
An author writing in Bonaire falls for the mom renting next door and her dive-mad ten-year-old.
The mom: Ash, vacationing with her ten-year-old son Jake
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“Ash and her ten-year-old son, Jake, have been through a rough couple of years” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
Sprinkled in the Stars
Violet Morley · Self-published, 2021
A guarded paramedic mom and a burned-out movie star keep colliding until they fall for each other.
The mom: AJ Beckett, paramedic mom of seven-year-old autistic daughter Parker
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“get Parker, her seven-year-old autistic daughter, through life” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
Temptation
Kris Bryant · Bold Strokes Books, 2020
A shipping heiress hires a med-school dropout as live-in nanny for her son and fights the attraction.
The mom: Brook Wellington, shipping CEO with a six-year-old son
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“Her priority is her six-year-old son” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
Made in London
Clare Lydon · Custard Books, 2019
A family-phobic PR guru falls for a chaotic single-mum photographer and her toddler.
The mom: Heidi Hughes, photographer single since daughter Maya was born
⚑ Series: London Romance #6.
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“Heidi Hughes has been single since her daughter was born” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
The Loudest Silence
Olivia Janae · Ylva Publishing, 2022
A single-mom cellist new to Chicago clashes, then connects, with the Deaf board president of her ensemble.
The mom: Kate Flynn, cellist and single mom
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“the difficulties of being a single mom” Source →
Beauty and the Boss
Ali Vali · Bold Strokes Books, 2017
A once-teenage single mom lands a summer job with a charming fashion mogul and faces a betrayal-tied promotion.
The mom: Charlotte Hamner, former teen mother of daughter Sawyer
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“a better life for herself and her daughter Sawyer” Source →
Heart of the Game
Rachel Spangler · Bold Strokes Books, 2015
A baseball-obsessed sportswriter falls for a wary mother of two boys at the ballpark.
The mom: Molly Grettano, abandoned mother of two sons
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“Molly Grettano and her two sons… She and her boys have been abandoned” Source →
Crossroads
Radclyffe · Bold Strokes Books, 2012
A high-risk obstetrician who never gets attached is paired with the midwife whose emergency delivery she handled years earlier.
The mom: Annie Colfax, midwife and single mom to young Callie
⚑ Series: PMC Hospital Romance #3.
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“Pregnant mother-to-be Annie Colfax is alone” Source → Heat: romance.io 4/5 “Explicit open door” (24 ratings). ⚑ Premise corrected from reader reviews: Hollis delivered Annie’s baby by emergency surgery four years before the story; they reunite when Annie, now a midwife, works with her.
Mothers of Teens and Adult Children, and Moms Over 40 (14)
This matters especially for mature romance. A woman with a teenager or grown children can still be navigating family reactions and a changing sense of herself. See also Mature Lesbian Romance and Women Over 40. For mothers over fifty with grown children or an empty nest, see the mothers and empty nesters route in our Women Over 50 guide.
Also on this shelf, above: Never Say Never and Mistakes Were Made.
Gold
E.J. Noyes · Bella Books, 2018
On an Australian ski trip, a wary mother of a teen falls for a hiding former Olympic skier.
The mom: Cate Tierney, hurt by a past relationship, with a teenage daughter
Evidence: LRR review
“Hurt by a past relationship, and with a teenage daughter to protect” Source →
Something in the Water
MJ Duncan · 2024
A world-renowned engineer falls for an Olympic rowing coach twenty years younger.
The mom: Kate Walker, tenured engineering professor with a daughter she adores
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“She has a job she loves, a daughter she adores” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label. Ending: reader reviews describe an HEA with an epilogue and no third-act breakup (our review).
Flowing like Water
Jutta Swietlinski · 2023
A 57-year-old married chocolatier unexpectedly falls for a 53-year-old single mother.
The mom: Carina, 53-year-old single mother
⚑ Blurb states single mother. Note: iHSF tags include love triangle/FFM/polyamory
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“when she meets 53-year-old single mother Carina” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label. ⚑ Ending: readers describe an unconventional, non-traditional resolution involving Laura’s marriage, not a standard couple HEA.
Racing Hearts
Alex Washoe · 2023
A mom juggling work and study meets the disgraced Olympian her trans runner daughter wants as coach.
The mom: Tricia Brinker, caring for her teenage (trans athlete) daughter Noelle
⚑ Series: For the Love of the Game #5.
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“juggling work, study, and caring for her teenage daughter” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
When Dreams Change
Violet Morley · 2023
A newly separated hospital boss falls for the softball coach who works for her and coaches her daughter.
The mom: Jenna Macintyre, separated from her husband, daughter Wren is a high-school senior
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“After separating from her husband… her daughter, Wren, is finishing her senior year” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
You Matter
Jazzy Mitchell · Launch Point Press, 2023
A woman abandoned as a pregnant teen, now raising her son, must learn to trust a new love at work.
The mom: Chrissy Kramer, pregnant in high school, raised her son alone
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“Chrissy Kramer became pregnant during her senior year of high school” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label. ⚑ First published 2019 by Desert Palm Press; the current Kindle edition is listed as Book One.
A Game of Two Hearts
Iona Kane · Self-published, 2022
A 46-year-old single parent returns to town, stirring old feelings in the colleague she ends up working with.
The mom: Tess Kennedy, 46, single parent returning to her hometown
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“keeping things together as a single parent as she returns to a town” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
Calling the Shots
Kelly Farmer · Carina Press, 2022
Rival women's hockey coaches with a ghosted past fling reignite sparks over a championship season.
The mom: Tierney McGovern, rival pro-hockey head coach and single mom
⚑ Series: Out on the Ice #3.
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“Single mom Tierney knows what it's like to live in someone else's shadow” Source → Heat: iHSF “Fade to Black”.
Reading Her
Amanda Radley · Bold Strokes Books, 2022
A shrewd barrister tracks her bullied teen son to a gym and falls for his secretive fitness instructor.
The mom: Allegra Whittaker, barrister mother of teenage son Hugo
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“when it comes to her son Hugo, she's afraid she's losing her touch” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
Reservations of the Heart
T.B. Markinson · T.B. Markinson, 2019
A divorced doctor mom and a wounded 29-year-old temp need a wedding date and find more.
The mom: Stella Gilbert, 41, doctor three years divorced, raising her daughter
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“Three years after her divorce… raising her daughter” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
A Wish Upon a Star
Jeannie Levig · Bold Strokes Books, 2018
A fresh-start newcomer sworn off women with kids falls for her neighbor, a self-reliant mom of an autistic girl.
The mom: Erica Cooper, self-reliant mother of autistic daughter Siena
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“Erica Cooper… her special needs daughter, Siena” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
Coming Home
KJ · 2019
A Melbourne teacher is reassigned to teach a Hollywood star's daughter and falls for the star.
The mom: Abigail Taylor, film star with nine-year-old daughter Grace
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“accompanied by her nine year old daughter, Grace” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
Second Chances and Small Towns (5)
Second chance and small town are strong combinations here, but each is tagged independently of the parenting status.
Also on this shelf, above: Changing Tides.
Playing for Keeps
Zoey Lennox · 2023
Returning home for her mother's funeral, Lacey reconnects with her first love, now a single mom, while saving the LGBTQ centre.
The mom: Taylor Stanton, social worker and single parent of a two-year-old son
⚑ Series: Wyvale Dreams #2.
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“Taylor… evenings at home looking after her two-year old son” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
And Then She Kissed Me
Harper Bliss · Ladylit Publishing, 2022
A TV cop home for her 40th birthday reconnects with the high-school best friend who once ruined their friendship.
The mom: Devon Douglas, single parent of a five-year-old son
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“Devon's first priority is her five-year-old son” Source → Heat: iHSF “Medium” vs romance.io 4/5 “Explicit open door” (15 ratings).
Delilah Green Doesn't Care
Ashley Herring Blake · Berkley, 2022
A photographer back in her hometown for a wedding falls for her stepsister's friend, a single mom.
The mom: Claire Sutherland, bookstore owner raising 11-year-old daughter mostly alone
⚑ Series: Bright Falls #1.
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“Having raised her eleven-year-old daughter mostly on her own” Source → Heat: romance.io 4/5 “Explicit open door”; LRR review 4/5.
The Secret Crush Book Club
Karmen Lee · Afterglow Books (Harlequin), 2025
A single mom in small-town Peach Blossom falls for the new librarian she meets at book club.
The mom: Dani, single mom devoted to her son
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“As a single mom devoted to her son and family” Source → Heat: romance.io 3/5 “Open door” (16 ratings).
When Both Women Are Mothers (4)
Two families, two schedules, sometimes two exes. These are the books where both leads are mothers.
Also on this shelf, above: Discovering Nicola.
All Things Beautiful
Alaina Erdell · Bold Strokes Books, 2024
A divorced atelier owner and her gifted new student, both mothers, risk everything in a forbidden teacher-student romance.
The mom: Both: Leighton Vaughn (divorced, daughter) and Casey Norford (son; status not stated)
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“after a messy divorce. She prioritizes her daughter” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
Second Verse
Natasha West · 2024
Teen sweethearts, now parents, reunite at the school gates when their kids become best friends.
The mom: Both Poppy and Norah are parents whose kids are best friends
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“Both of them are now parents… at the school gates” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
The Next Life
Lise Gold & Madeleine Taylor · Lise Gold Books, 2021
A newly divorced Hamptons mother of two falls for her pool technician, a single mom who moonlights as an escort.
The mom: Both: Reina (divorced, mother of two) and Belle (single mom)
Evidence: I Heart SapphFic listing
“Reina Amari, wealthy mother of two… Single mom Belle Rodgers” Source → Heat: iHSF heat label.
Parents and Kids: Family Stories Beyond Single Moms
Single moms stay at the centre of this guide, but readers also ask for books where children are genuinely present in the relationship: both women may be parents, a new partner may become part of a family, or the story may involve co-parenting, a new baby or suddenly raising someone else’s child. For a full guide sorted by the child, from newborns to teenagers, see lesbian romance books with kids. Pregnancy is not treated as its own genre here, and a miscarriage or infertility content note does not make a book a pregnancy romance. We only record family-building details when they are part of the story.
| Label | What it means |
|---|---|
| Single mom | A romantic lead is raising a child without a partner. |
| Both women are mothers | Each lead has her own child or children. |
| Kids on the page | Children appear in scenes and matter to the plot. |
| Co-parenting | Custody, an ex or shared parenting shapes the romance. |
| Pregnancy / new baby | A pregnancy, trying to conceive or a newborn is part of the story, not only a content note. |
| Guardian / adoptive | A lead takes on someone else’s child. |
Co-parenting, pregnancy and unexpected families.
The Rules of Parenthood
Cara Malone
Guardian of a child. A married couple suddenly raising a cousin's son during a military deployment.
Sing for My Baby
Jenn Matthews
Pregnancy. A slow burn across a nine-month pregnancy: a teacher having a baby on her own.
Over the Moon With You
Jaime Clevenger
Pregnancy · single mother by choice. Butch/femme, a pregnant heroine and bad timing. Very explicit.
Truth and Measure
Roslyn Sinclair
Pregnancy. An ice-queen boss, a pregnant assistant and a relationship neither can afford to have.
Off Balance
L.E. Royal
Co-parenting and custody. A young single mom in a custody fight and her ice-queen boss.
Sometimes We Fly
Cheyenne Blue
Teen child · co-parenting. A single mom of a teenager and the woman who changes her plans.
A Convenient Arrangement
Aurora Rey & Jaime Clevenger
Kid on the page. A butch single mom, a relationship of convenience and a kid who matters to the plot.
On the Fly
PJ Trebelhorn
Teen child. A single mom whose teenage son plays cupid.
More single-mom romances, newly added: Leaving L.A., Love All, Butch Girls Can Fix Anything, A Little Kissing Between Friends, Wrong Number, Right Woman, Three Reasons to Say Yes, Love Next Door, The Popstar’s Cowgirl, Falls From Grace, Guarding Evelyn, Playing for Her Heart, Like They Do in the Movies, The Lure of White Oak Lake, Summer’s Cove, Fearless, On the Rocks, Delay of Game, A Perfect Fit, Midnight Rain.
Co-Parenting: Sharing a Child With an Ex or a Friend
In these books the child has another parent in the picture, and that arrangement shapes the romance: an amicable split, an unreliable ex, a best friend who became family, or a custody fight. Each one is checked against its full LRR review. For the complete list, see our lesbian romance books with co-parenting guide.
A Little Kissing Between Friends
Chencia C. Higgins
Amicable co-parenting. Jucee, a single mom, shares her son with his father and has put dating on hold.
Calling the Shots
Kelly Farmer
A working co-parenting set-up. Rival head coaches in a women’s pro league, with a single mom whose shared arrangement works.
Delilah Green Doesn’t Care
Ashley Herring Blake
A difficult co-parent. Claire has built her life around her daughter, Ruby, and an ex who drifts in and out.
Truly Wanted
J.J. Hale
Best friends raising a child together. Sam has helped raise widowed Brooke’s son since her husband died, and has loved Brooke since college.
Baggage
Cass Morgan
Co-parents to lovers. Second chance with Beth, the ex and co-parent. Book three in the Soulmate Series.
Off Balance
L.E. Royal
Custody. Maya takes a job at the Mars Fund to win back custody of her daughter.
Leaving’s Not the Only Way to Go
Kay Acker
After a co-parent’s death. Georgia is suddenly raising her autistic daughter alone after her best friend and co-parent dies.
Checked and not included: Chosen Family lists queer co-parenting, but our review describes literary fiction about two women who are “never quite lovers”, not a romance.
Single Mom Is Not the Same as a Parenthood Plot
Pregnancy, adoption, foster care, guardianship and family planning belong to a separate layer. These verified books are about becoming a parent, or the mother’s single status is not confirmed, so they sit outside the main collection: Unexpected (Jenny Frame).
What to Check Before You Choose
- The child’s age and page time. A toddler, a teenager and a grown child make very different stories.
- The former partner. Is the ex absent, friendly, difficult or part of the plot?
- Custody or legal conflict. Custody fights raise the stakes and the stress.
- How she became single. Divorce, bereavement and separation each bring their own grief.
- How central parenting is. In some books it shapes every date. In others it’s mostly background.
A book can have a happy ending and still contain stressful family themes. Our notes are reader guidance, not complete content warnings.
How LRR Verifies
We checked 74 candidate titles and kept 50. Each was checked for a central romance between two women, romance as the main plot, and the page’s own test. Details are then verified separately: representation or type, dynamics, heat and ending.
The strongest evidence is an LRR review; then the author or publisher; then specialist reviews such as Lesbrary, Kirkus and Smart Bitches; then structured listings such as I Heart SapphFic, whose heat ratings we map to our scale (“Hot & Steamy” to explicit, “Medium” to moderate, “Sweet” or “Fade to Black” to closed door).
We never infer an ending from the word “romance.” 0 of 50 endings are confirmed by a source so far; the rest say Ending unverified.
Complete Collection
All 50 verified books, each listed once. Tap a filter to narrow the table. One filter applies at a time.
50 of 50 books shown
| Book | Mother | Kids | Dynamics | Heat | Ending | LRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Game of Two Hearts Iona Kane | Single mom | — | Age gap, 40+ lead, Workplace, Small town | L3 · Open door | Ending unverified | Review |
| A Wish Upon a Star Jeannie Levig | Single mom | — | Neighbors, Friends to lovers, Slow burn, 40+ lead | L3 · Open door | Ending unverified | Review |
| All Things Beautiful Alaina Erdell | Divorced mom | — | Age gap, Slow burn | L2 · Closed door | Ending unverified | Review |
| And Then She Kissed Me Harper Bliss | Single mom | Young kids | Second chance, Friends to lovers, Small town | L4 · Explicit | Ending unverified | Review |
| Beauty and the Boss Ali Vali | Single mom | — | Workplace, Boss/employee, Friends to lovers | Heat not rated | HEA | Review |
| Calling the Shots Kelly Farmer | Single mom | — | Second chance, Ice queen, Slow burn, 40+ lead | L2 · Fade to black | Ending unverified | Review |
| Carnations & Commitment H.B. Cliffy | Single mom | Young kids | — | L5 · Extra spicy | Ending unverified | Review |
| Changing Tides Iona Kane | Single mom | Young kids | Friends to lovers, Small town | L3 · Open door | Ending unverified | Review |
| Coming Home KJ | Single mom | Young kids | Age gap, 40+ lead, Slow burn | L3 · Open door | Ending unverified | Review |
| Crossroads Radclyffe | Single mom | Young kids | Pregnancy | L3 · Open door | Ending unverified | Review |
| Delilah Green Doesn't Care Ashley Herring Blake | Single mom | Young kids | Small town, Forced proximity | L4 · Explicit | Ending unverified | Review |
| Discovering Nicola Clare Ashton | Divorced mom | Adult kids | 40+ lead, 50+ lead, Neighbors, Ice queen | L4 · Explicit | Ending unverified | Review |
| Diving In Sage Donnell | Single mom | Young kids | Neighbors | L3 · Open door | HEA | Review |
| Drawn to the Enemy Barbara Winkes | Widowed mom | — | Age gap, Ice queen | Heat disputed (L2 or L3) | HEA | Review |
| Eve Falls First Fiona Zedde | Divorced mom | — | Age gap | L3 · Open door | Ending unverified | Review |
| Falling Hard Jae | Divorced mom | Young kids | Neighbors, Slow burn | L3 · Open door | Ending unverified | Review |
| Flight to the Horizon Julie Tizard | Divorced mom | — | — | L2 · Closed door | Ending unverified | Review |
| Flowing like Water Jutta Swietlinski | Single mom | — | 50+ lead | L2 · Closed door | Unconventional ending | Review |
| Gold E.J. Noyes | Single mom | Teen kids | — | L4 · Explicit | Ending unverified | Review |
| Heart of the Game Rachel Spangler | Single mom | — | — | Heat not rated | Ending unverified | Review |
| Her Royal Happiness Lola Keeley | Single mom | — | Fake dating | L3 · Open door | HEA | Review |
| Hugs & Quiches Candace Harper | Separated mom | — | Forced proximity | L3 · Open door | Ending unverified | New on LRR |
| If You Kiss Me Like That Harper Bliss | Widowed mom | Adult kids | Age gap, 40+ lead | L5 · Extra spicy | HEA | Review |
| Lasting Impressions Cassidy Langue | Single mom | Young kids | Age gap, Workplace, Slow burn, Friends to lovers | L3 · Open door | Ending unverified | Review |
| Made in London Clare Lydon | Single mom | Young kids | — | L2 · Closed door | Ending unverified | Review |
| Mistakes Were Made Meryl Wilsner | Divorced mom | Adult kids | Age gap, 40+ lead | L5 · Extra spicy | Ending unverified | Review |
| Never Say Never Rachael Sommers | Divorced mom | Young kids | Age gap, Nanny, Boss/employee, Ice queen | L1 · No on-page sex | Ending unverified | Review |
| Other Girls Avery Brooks | Widowed mom | Young kids | Second chance, Slow burn | L3 · Open door | HEA | Review |
| Playing for Keeps Zoey Lennox | Single mom | Young kids | Second chance, Small town | L3 · Open door | Ending unverified | New on LRR |
| Popcorn Love KL Hughes | Single mom | Young kids | Nanny | Heat disputed | HEA | Review |
| Presidential Lola Keeley | Widowed mom | Young kids | Age gap, Slow burn, 40+ lead | Heat not rated | Ending unverified | Review |
| Racing Hearts Alex Washoe | Single mom | Teen kids | 40+ lead | L2 · Fade to black | Ending unverified | New on LRR |
| Reading Her Amanda Radley | Single mom | Teen kids | Age gap, Ice queen, 40+ lead, 50+ lead | Heat disputed (L2 or L3) | HEA | Review |
| Reservations of the Heart T.B. Markinson | Divorced mom | — | Age gap, 40+ lead, Workplace | L4 · Explicit | HEA | Review |
| Returning Home to Her Jutta Swietlinski | Widowed mom | — | Second chance, 40+ lead | L3 · Open door | Ending unverified | Review |
| Second Verse Natasha West | Single mom | Young kids | Second chance, Friends to lovers, Slow burn, Small town | Heat disputed | HEA | Review |
| Something in the Water MJ Duncan | Single mom | — | Age gap, 40+ lead, 50+ lead | L4 · Explicit | HEA | Review |
| Sprinkled in the Stars Violet Morley | Single mom | Young kids | Age gap, Ice queen, Slow burn | Heat disputed (L2 or L3) | Ending unverified | Review |
| Sweet Sweet Revenge Lyn Denison | Divorced mom | Young kids | — | L3 · Open door | Ending unverified | New on LRR |
| Teaching Hope Sienna Waters | Single mom | Young kids | Age gap, Neighbors, Ice queen, Workplace | L2 · Closed door | HEA | Review |
| Temptation Kris Bryant | Single mom | Young kids | Age gap, Nanny, Boss/employee, Ice queen | Heat disputed (L3 or L4) | Ending unverified | Review |
| The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows Olivia Waite | Widowed mom | Adult kids | 40+ lead, Friends to lovers | L4 · Explicit | HEA | Review |
| The Loudest Silence Olivia Janae | Single mom | — | Age gap, Ice queen, Workplace | Heat not rated | Ending unverified | Review |
| The Next Life Lise Gold & Madeleine Taylor | Divorced mom | — | Age gap, Slow burn | L3 · Open door | Ending unverified | Review |
| The Secret Crush Book Club Karmen Lee | Single mom | — | Small town | L2 · Closed door | HEA | Review |
| Truly Wanted J.J. Hale | Widowed mom | — | Friends to lovers, Forced proximity | L3 · Open door | Ending unverified | Review |
| When Dreams Change Violet Morley | Separated mom | Teen kids | Friends to lovers, Slow burn, 40+ lead, Boss/employee | L3 · Open door | Ending unverified | Review |
| When You Least Expect It Haley Cass | Divorced mom | — | Slow burn | Heat disputed (L2 or L3) | Ending unverified | Review |
| Winds of Heaven Kate Sweeney | Widowed mom | Young kids | Pregnancy | Heat not rated | Ending unverified | Review |
| You Matter Jazzy Mitchell | Single mom | — | 40+ lead, Boss/employee, Workplace | L3 · Open door | Ending unverified | Review |
Still Verifying and Not Included
Still verifying (9)
Heart Block (Melissa Brayden): Motherhood verified; single status not stated in blurb, no iHSF Single Parent tag; Courting the Countess (Jenny Frame): Motherhood verified; single status not stated; Leaving L.A. (Kate Christie): Motherhood verified; single status not stated (author site unreachable); Off Balance (L.E. Royal): Both mothers verified by NineStar blurb; neither's single status stated; Not for a Moment (Cheyenne Blue): iHSF Single Parent tag, but blurb never says 'mother'/'daughter' outright; do not publish until confirmed; On the Square (Brenda Murphy): iHSF Single Parent tag but blurb names no child/mother; Starting from Scratch (Georgia Beers): iHSF Single Parent + Widow tags but full blurb not retrieved; parent unidentified; Love Bites (Lila Bruce): Only a summarized jae-fiction excerpt; iHSF slug is a different book (Ry Herman); single status unverified; The Tell Tale (Clare Ashton): Mother verified + iHSF Single Parent tag, but book is a mystery; f/f romance not evidenced in blurb
Checked and not included (14)
Nanny in the Middle (Adrian J. Smith): Blurb: three single parents/mothers. NOTE: polyamorous (4 women), not a two-woman romance – editorial call Editorial: not a two-woman central romance / erotica serial; kept off the main collection.; Tempting My Best Friend's MILF (Riley Rose): Blurb: daughter; iHSF Single Parent tag. EDITORIAL: kink erotica serial – likely exclude from page Editorial: not a two-woman central romance / erotica serial; kept off the main collection.; Wrong Number, Right Woman (Jae): Aunt: Denny helps her sister raise her niece; no mother lead; No Strings (Lucy Bexley): Not a mother: Elsie's 'monster son' is a TV puppet; Jones is guardian of her six-year-old brother (iHSF Single Parent tag misleading); The Business of Love (Charley Clarke): No mother; CEO securing her little sister's future (sister, not child); The Roommate Arrangement (Jae): No parent/child in blurb or tags; Just for Show (Jae): No parent/child in blurb or tags; Learned by Heart (Emma Donoghue): Teen boarding-school romance (Anne Lister/Eliza Raine); no mother; Chasing Stars (Katia Rose): No mother in blurb/tags (Three Rivers #3); author of intended candidate unknown; Lasting Impressions (Michele L. Rivera): No mother in blurb/tags; the single-mom title is Cassidy Langue's Lasting Impressions; Backwards to Oregon (Jae): Nora's motherhood not stated in publisher/iHSF blurb (iHSF Single Parent tag only); she marries the other lead early; The Plus One (MJ Duncan / Natasha West): Could not find an MJ Duncan 'The Plus One'; Natasha West's The Plus One has no mother; Take a Chance (on Me) (Claire Highton-Stevenson): Only match found; no mother or children of leads; Heal Their Hearts (Claire Highton-Stevenson): Guardian (aunt) of three orphaned children, not a mother – possible parenthood/guardianship sidebar but blurb not fetched
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifies for this page?
At least one central romantic lead is explicitly a mother and is single, divorced, widowed or separated at the relevant point of the romance, according to the blurb, publisher, author or a reliable review.
Does the mother have to be single?
Yes, for the main collection. We distinguish single (29), divorced (11), widowed (8) and separated (2).
Are aunts or guardians included?
Not as mothers unless the text explicitly establishes motherhood. Guardianship is separate metadata.
Are pregnancy romances included?
Only when a central lead is already a single mother. Pregnancy itself belongs to the parenthood layer.
Are all single-mom romances mature romances?
No. 18 of 50 have a lead stated to be 40 or older.
Can both women be mothers?
Yes. 4 books have two mothers, with their own filter.
Are children always central to the plot?
No. The page is about a heroine’s life context, not necessarily a parenting plot.
Do divorced mothers automatically count as second chance?
No. Second chance is tagged only when a source supports it.
Can a book be single mom and small town?
Yes, if both are independently supported. 8 are.
How does LRR verify motherhood?
Through explicit text, author or publisher descriptions, or reliable detailed reviews; never from age or relationship history alone.
Is a romance about a guardian or adoptive parent a single mom romance?
Not automatically. If the heroine is raising a child but isn’t the mother, for example an aunt or a guardian, we label her accurately. Many of those books are in our books with kids guide.
Are all of these single mom romances low angst?
No. Some are gentle and some deal with divorce, bereavement or custody fights. Check each book’s notes, and see low-angst lesbian romance if you want a softer read.
Are the children important to the plot?
It varies. In some books the child shapes every decision, and in others they stay in the background. The books with kids guide ranks books by how central the child is.
Are there lesbian romance books about co-parenting?
Yes. Our co-parenting section has seven LRR-reviewed books, including A Little Kissing Between Friends and Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, both with a confirmed HEA. They cover amicable co-parenting with an ex, an unreliable ex, best friends raising a child together, a custody fight, and life after a co-parent’s death.
This page contains affiliate links to Amazon (including Audible editions). As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Affiliate relationships do not decide which books appear here or where. See our full affiliate disclosure.